Review: Twice Tempted by a Rogue by Tessa Dare

Favorite Quote: “Oh Rhys,” she sighed, tilting her head back. The way she moaned for him…it made his blood catch fire. ”Oh my God,” she cried, craning her neck a bit more. “Just look at the scrollwork on that ceiling.” ”To hell with the damned ceiling,” he growled…..

One thing Rhys St. Maur, the newly appointed Lord Ashworth knows for sure is that fate wants him to live. Having suffered brutal beatings growing up, horrendous battles in war, and just being all around roughed-up, he is still standing and breathing. His body is covered in scars and the deepest are hidden under the skin.

Last in the village of Buckleigh-in-the-Moor when he was seventeen, many years have passed since his family’s estate burned to the ground. He still hears the horses cries as the stable burned that terrible night. Now he is back to see what is left of his family’s estate. Stopping at The Three Hounds Inn for the night, he meets a blast from the past. Meredith Lane Maddox, who grew up with him. For Meredith, she has been infatuated with Rhys ever since she was young skinny and girl. Rhys is very attracted to the adult, widowed Merry Lane.

Upon inspection of the ruins of his family’s estate, he comes to realize the entire village suffered a loss that night. When his family left, the tenants stopped receiving money. The vicar was forced to leave town. The only driving force in town is Meredith’s inn. Feeling extremely guilty over these events, and really having nothing else in his life to live for, Rhys decides to stay in the small town and start making a difference. To redeem himself. For starters, he wants to rebuild his home and marry Meredith. Although these words make Meredith’s heart all a flutter, the inn is her life. She doesn’t want someone taking care of her. She also doesn’t trust that Rhys is actually going to stay permanently.

As started in book one, One Dance With a Duke, the murder investigation of Leo, the founder of the Stud Club continues as the remaining members try to find the man responsible. Julian Bellamy comes into town with a lead. As Rhys makes his presence known in town, many townsfolk see his return as more of a threat. Rhys not only has to prove himself to the villagers, but to Meredith as well.

Twice Tempted by a Rogue is the second book in Tessa Dare’s Stud Club trilogy. I’ll say right off the bat, I loved Rhys and I had problems with Meredith. Rhys is just a big hunkin’ man full of sweetness. Oh, he has anger and has lived a hard physical life. But he treats Meredith with the utmost respect. He truly wants a companion, a lover, a wife. He feels like he owes Meredith something better in life since she has worked so hard to repair the damage his family leaving caused.

True to his words after church three weeks ago, Rhys had indeed been wooing her. In his own gruff, roughhewn way. […]And then one night he’d come in late, well after dark, plainly exhausted from a long day of labor. He’d grasped her by the shoulders and pressed a warm, firm kiss to her forehead.“Sorry,” he’d said. “That’s all I have today.” That kiss had been her favorite gift of all.

Now let’s talk about Meredith. I liked her in the sense that she was not shy when it came to telling Rhys that she wanted him. She is not a virgin and did not hide her lust filled glances toward him at all. What became tiresome was her lack of communication and indecisiveness. One minute she thought she loved him and wanted him, and the next she decided she only wanted to have sex and that is it. She also kept secrets from him and I never truly understood why. Rhys kept saying- I want to marry you and take care of you. Meredith took this as, she wasn’t allowed to run her inn anymore, hanging onto that as her reason not to get married. By the end, she contradicts herself.

Although Meredith and I didn’t see eye to eye, Tessa Dare still writes wonderful romance. There is a scene with the simple act of Rhys taking off Meredith’s apron that becomes anything but simple. She just adds something special to her romance scenes that make them so rich. The last book in the trilogy features Julian and I also look forward to the resolve of the murder that took place in book one.